Event - September 8 & 9, 2006

The Michigan Nanotechnology Institute for Medicine and Biological Sciences
(MNIMBS) held its first Symposium on Nanotechnology in Science and Society on September 8 and 9, 2006. This Symposium provided a comprehensive look at the role of Nanotechnology in science, in the human environment and the role of Nanotechnology in society as a whole.
The symposium included a scientific session on nanomaterials and techniques with presentations by world famous experts in Materials Science. We also offered presentations on the potential toxicology of nanoparticles such as nanoscale mechanisms of nanoparticle interactions with cell membranes.

We closed the Symposium with a public session on Saturday morning, September 9, concerning the role of Nanotechnology in society. The discussions ranged from the impact of science fiction on the public's understanding of Nanotechnology to the role of Nanotechnology in economic development in the industrialized world.

The Friday, September 8, afternoon session will be held from 2:00–5:15 P.M. in the Biomedical Sciences Research Building Auditorium (BSRB). It will be a scientific session on nanomaterials and techniques with presentations by world–famous experts in Materials Science, including Professor Michael Sailor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California–San Diego, CA; Professor Samuel Stupp, Institute for BioNanotechnology in Medicine, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL; and Professor Michael Roukes, Kavli Nanosciences Institute, Caltech, Pasadena, CA. The Herbert D. Doan keynote speaker, Professor Mostafa El–Sayed, Laser Dynamic Laboratory, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, will present "Why Gold Nanoparticles Are More Precious Than Pretty Gold: Properties and Applications in Making Nano–Motors & in Cancer Diagnostics and Laser Selective Photo–Thermal Therapy."

Friday, September 8, evening session will be held from 7:00–8:35 P.M. in the Biomedical Sciences Research Building Auditorium (BSRB). There will be three presentations on the potential toxicology of nanoparticles, such as nanoscale mechanisms of nanoparticle interactions with cell membranes. Presenters include Professor Mark Banaszak Holl, Departments of Chemistry, Applied Physics, Biophysics, and Macromolecular Science and Engineering, University of Michigan; Professor Barbara Baird, NanoBiotechnology Center, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY; and Professor Gregory Lanza, Cardiology, Medical School, Washington University, St. Louis, MO.

The Saturday, September 9, session will be held from 9:00–10:30 A.M. in the Biomedical Sciences Research Building Auditorium, where there will be a public session concerning the role of Nanotechnology in society. Discussions will range from the impact of science fiction on the public’s understanding of Nanotechnology to the role of Nanotechnology in economic development in the industrialized world. This session will include a talk by Professor Eric Rabkin, Department of English Language & Literature, University of Michigan, who will address Nanotechnology’s perception in science vs. science fiction. In addition, the discussion will include a panel of experts from business and industry addressing the impact of Nanotechnology on these two fields. Panelists include Steve Swanson, B.S., Chairman & CEO, Nanocerox, Ann Arbor, MI; Thomas S. Porter, MBA, Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; and Youseph Yazdi, Ph.D., Corporate Director, Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick, NJ. The forum will be moderated by James R. Baker, Jr., M.D., Director, Michigan Nanotechnology Institute for Medicine and Biological Sciences.